The following systems utilizing various arrangements for separating hydrogen from gaseous mixtures are known:
Hydrogen recovery from steam-methane reformers through a pressure swing adsorption system (PSA) is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,354,547, 5,447,559 and 5,753,010. U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,980 describes recovery of nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide from hydrocarbon reformate using a multi-column PSA system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,695 describes a gas separation process using one or more permeable membranes for bulk separation in combination with a PSA process for the recovery of hydrogen from mixtures with methane.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2001/0045061 describes a fuel processor with a hydrogen-producing region and a separation region that may include a hydrogen metal membrane.
Despite the known systems, there is a need for an efficient and versatile system to capture and purify hydrogen in other environments.